gibbs



No. 614,382. Patented Nov. I5, I898.

' J. E. GIBBS.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

(Application flied Sept. 14, 1898;.) (No Model.) 2. SheetsShee.t- I.

THE Nonms PETERS ca. mcnxumoq WASHINGTON. n, c.

No. 6l4,382.

4N0 Model.)

J. E. GIBBS.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

(Application filed Sept. 14. 1898.:

2 Sheets8heef 2.

THE nonms PEYERS co. pnoroumo. msummou. D. c.

' l- I MIA Patented Nov. l5, I898.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

JAMES E. GIBBS, OF BRIDGEWATER, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. N. WVILSON, WV. R. MYERS, AND S. W. SHAVER, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,382, dated November 15, 1898.

Application filed September 14; 1898- Serial No. 690,961. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES E. GIBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgewater, in the county of Rockingham and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gates, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a gate which may be opened and closed by per-- sons on horseback or in vehicles without dismounting. The gate is operated by means of hand-rods extending on either side of the gate, or it may, if desired, be operated by the weight of the vehicle; and the invention comprises means for unlatching the gate and at the same time changing its center of gravity, so that the gate will swing in the desired direction, and means for locking the operative mechanism after the center of gravity of the gate has been shifted to prevent the return of the gate until the locking mechanism is released by the operator. By means of my improvements a single short pull on the handrods is sufficient to unlatch and start it in the 2 5 desired direction and change its center of gravity, while the locking mechanism looks it in its changed position, so that the gate 1 must swing positively in the desired direction, and there is no danger of the gate swinging back upon the operator and no necessity for delay in holding onto the operating-rod until the gate has completed its movement.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate embodying my improvements and illustrating the position of the several parts at the moment when the hand-rod is operated to open the gate. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the operating mechanism, showing the po- 0 sition of the parts when the gate is closed.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section through Fig. 2. Fig. at is a plan view of the operating mechanism, showing the position of the parts when the hand-rods have been moved to open the gate; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cam-lever for releasing the looking mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a gate of any ordinary construction, and 2 indicates a gate-post, to which the gate is hinged The lower hinge 4, which supports the gate, may be of any usual construction. As shown,

it consists of a stud 5, secured to the gate post, and a projecting arm 6 upon the gate, having a perforation adapted to be engaged by the stud. The upper hinge consists of an ear 7, projecting from the post preferably in line with the stud 5, and a link 8, pivoted to said ear, the outer end of the link having an opening in which a stud or standard 9 upon the gate is j ourn aled. As shown in the draw ings, the ear 7 is integral with aplate 10,which I term a locking-plate, said plate being suitably secured to the top of the post 2. The ear 7 may, however, be independent of said plate. The standard 9 projects above the link 8, and its extremity is preferably pro vided with a roller 11. Pivotally mounted upon the post 2 is an operating-lever 12, hav- 7o ing a longitudinal slot 13 at or near one end, and the standard 9 projects into said slot, the roller 11 being adapted to be engaged by the opposite walls of the slot. It will be seen by reference to Fig. lthat if the operating-lever be rocked either way from its central position the standard 9 will be swung rearwardly and to one side of the post, thus lifting the forward part of the gate and at the same time changing the center of gravity. The latch-post 14 is provided with a catch 15, and the gate is provided with the usual gravity or spring latch 16, adapted to engage the catch 15. The elevation of the outer end of the gate in the manner stated lifts the latch 8 5 16 out of engagement with the catch 15, so that the gate is free to swing in the direction to attain its equilibrium. On the other hand, when the operating-lever 12 is in its central position, as shown in Fig. 2, the center of 0 gravity of the gate will be in such position that the gate will remain closed.

I provide means for locking the operatinglever in several positions. As shown, this locking mechanism consists of a pin 17,which 5 5 extends through an opening in the operatinglever 12 and is normally pressed downward by a spring 18, mounted upon said lever, said pin being adapted to engage with an opening 19 in the central line of the plate 10 and suit- 10o able notches 20 and 21, formed on either side by upper and lower hinges 3 1, respectively. I of the opening 19. Upon the extremity of the spring 18 is a friction-roller 22, which is adapted to be engaged by the inclined surfaces 23 of a cam-lever 24:, pivoted to the operating-lever by a pivot 25. The cam projections 23 taper toward each other, forming a kind of double wedge. The opposite end of the cam-lever is provided with a stud 26, to which are attached the hand-rod. .27 and 28. The stud 26 projects into a transverse slot 29 in the end of the operating-lever 12, the ends of said slot limiting the movement of the stud, and consequently of the cam-lever 24. The rods 27 and 28 are carried a suitable distance on either side of the gate and may be supported in any suitable manner. As shown, they are supported upon latchposts 30 and 31, respectively. It will be evident that a movement of the cam-lever from its normal central position by means of the hand-rods will raise the spring 18 and withdraw the pin 17 from the locking-plate. A further movement of the hand-rod will bring the pin 26 in engagement with the slot 29, and thus swing the operating-lever 12 upon its pivot.

The latch-posts 30 and 31 are provided with catches 32, adapted to engage the latch 16 when the gate is opened.

The operation is as follows: hen the gate is closed, the parts of the operating andlocking mechanism assume the position shown in Fig. 2, the operating-lever 12 being locked in the intermediate position by means of the spring-pin 17, in engagement with the slot 19 in the locking-plate. Then the parts are locked in this position, the gate may be swung upon its hinges as any other gate; but by reason of its center of gravity being directly in front of the gate-post the gate will always return automatically to the closed position whether it is swung in one direction or the other either by individuals, winds, or any other cause. When it is desired to swing the gate open toward the latch-post 31, the handrods are pushed or pulled in the direction of the arrow. This movement first turns the cam-lever upon its pivot, thereby releasing the pin from the locking-plate, and the continued movement of the hand-rod brings the pin 26 into engagement with the end of the slot 29, thus turning the operating-lever 12, so as to swing the standard 9 around toward the post 31, thereby elevating the front of the gate and releasing the latch and at the same time disturbing the equilibrium of the gate, so that it will swing toward the post 31. After the gate has moved part way toward the post 31 and has acquired some momentum the hand-rod may be released and the gate will continue in its direction, carrying the operating-lever around with it, and the cam-lever 24, the movement of which stops simultaneously with the stoppage of the movement of. the hand-rods, will remain stationary, while the operating-lever moves onward with the gate, and the roller 22 will slide down in the notch between the cams 23,

so that as soon as the operating-lever conipletes its movement the pin 17 will drop into the appropriate slot or opening in the locking-plate. So long as the parts are locked in this position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1, the gate will always swing toward the post 31 and will not remain in any other position. hen it is desired to close the gate, the hand-rods are moved in the opposite direction to bring the operating-lever into the intermediate position. This movement lifts the latch from the catch 32 in the post 31 and changes the center of gravity of the gate, so that it will swing back to its closed position. To open the gate in the opposite direction, the movement of the hand-rods is continued in the direction opposite the arrow, and the parts operate as before.

To support the gate in its normal or closed position, I provide a support 33 upon the post 1a and a bar 34.- upon the gate, which projects slightly beyond the end of the gate and is adapted to rest upon the support 33 when the gate is closed. The latch 16 may be provided with a suitable handle 35 for the convenience of pedestrians who may desire to open the gate part way without having recourse to the hand-rods.

By the employment of the link the movement of the operating-lever around its axis is shorter than if the lever were connected directly to the gate, and the power required for moving the lever is more eifectively applied than it otherwise would be, as the handrods and lever are nearer at right angles throughout the movement.

It will be obvious that many changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Without, therefore, limiting myself to the exact construction shown and described, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-- 1. The combination with the gate and a post, of a lower supporting-hinge connecting said gate directly with the post, an upper hinge, one member of which is a link projecting outward beyond the pivotal point of the lower hinge, an operating-lever adapted to swing the outer end of said link in either direction, a stationary locking-plate having notches therein, a spring-pressed pin carried by said operating-lever and adapted to engage said notches, hand-rods for moving said operating-lever, and means controlled by said rods for disengaging the pin from the lockingplate, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the gate and a post, of a lower supporting-hinge connecting said gate directly with the post, an upper hinge, one member of which is a link projecting outward beyond the pivotal point of the lower hinge, an operating-lever adapted to swing the outer end of said link in either direction, a stationary locking-plate having notches therein, a spring-pressed pin carried by said operating-lever and adapted to engage said notches, a cam-lever pivoted to said operating-lever and having a limited movement thereon, said cam-lever having inclined surfaces adapted to engage the pin, and handrods connected to said cam-lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the operating-lever having a longitudinal slot at one end and a transverse slot at the other end, of means for controlling said lever consisting of a stationary locking-plate, a spring-pressed pin upon said lever adapted to engage said plate,

a cam-lever pivoted to said operating-lever and having inclined projections adapted to raise said pin when the cam-lever is turned in either direction, a pin extending through said cam-lever into the transverse slot in the operating-lever, and hand-rods connected to said cam-lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES E. GIBBS. Witnesses:

ROBERT WATsoN, WILLIAM E. NEFF. 

